Cinder-hopper.



Y APPLICATION PILBD'HEPT. '18, 1902.

*I0l K ODEL. f 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH BERG, OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, ASSIGNOR'OF THREE-FOURTHS To JOHN E. ooATEs, THOMAS E. GLYNN, AND MATIIIAs LAUX, or LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

ClNDER-HOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,1 39, dated February 24, 1903.

Application filed September 18, 1902. Serial No. 123.937. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH BERG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Little Rock, in the county of Pulaski and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cinder-Hoppers, of which the following is a specification, reference bel ing had to the accompanying drawings.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to cinder-hoppers, and more particularly to the means employed for operating the cut-off or hopper-plug to discharge vthe accumulation of cinders from the extension front end of a locomotive, and it is designed especially as an improvement over the form of such devices as disclosed in the patents to Laux, No. 679,083, of 1901, and No. 703,603, of 1902. Itis agenerally well-known fact that in the ordinary type of locomotive the cinders passing through the lines of the boiler and not carried directly out of the smoke-stack fall back and accumulate in the extension front end of the locomotive, and unless this accumulation is kept to a minimum quantity the draft becomes more direct and acts-with increasing intensity upon the nre, tearing it up and, in fact, drawing an increased number or quantity of cinders through the iiues, the effect of which is a drop in steam-pressure, which the fireman endeavors to counteract by an increased consumption of fuel. Means have heretofore been devised, as shown by the Laux patents referred to, to overcome these difficulties and to provide the extension front end with a discharge-hopper which might from time to time let the cinders and other accumulated matter fall from the eX- tension front end to the ground between the tracks. have been open to the charge of complication, either in the general construction thereof or the means for operating them.

the objects of myinvention, so construct the Such forms of prior cinder-hoppers cinder-hopper as that it may be readily-taken apart and reassembled when desired or necessary to enable repairs or cleaning to be effected. I

In the drawings,Figure 1 is adetached view of my cinder-hopper Withthe piping yleading to the cab of the locomotive broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the parts shown irrFig. 1 centrally through the same. Fig. 3 is a front View ofthe arrangement of piping and valves and indicator within the cab. Fig.

4 is afront view of a locomotive with my invention applied thereto, and Fig. 5 is a View looking into the-cab of the locomotive.

I have not deemed it necessary in the drawings to illustrate the 'entire locomotive,l its cab, and other accessories, Vas these are and may be all ofthe same general type asshown in the patents to Laux, hereinbefore `mentioned and to which reference may be had, although to deline more clearly in the drawings of this case the application of. my invention Ihave shown a. front view and a view into the cab of a locomotive.

The discharge chute or plug through which the cinders are expelled from theextension front end comprisesthe two-part Vportion A3 A4, the latter of which has a'range or plate either formed integraltherewith or attached thereto in any approved manner. lThe two portions A3 A4 ofthe discharge-chute are preferably provided with suitable I'ianges'at-their connecting ends, as a5 a5, whereby they are detachably secured together by suitable screwbolts or otherwise a3. Extending circumferentially at each end of each, portion A3 A4 is a flange a', to which by another suitablyformed flange ct on the adjacent faces thereof are two cylinders Al 'A2,'connected to the discharge-chute and the portions A8 A4 by means of suitable screw-boltsor otherwise a?. When the parts A3 A4of the discharge-chute are se- 'It is therefore one of the objects of my in` vention, as generally stated, to provide al cinder-hopper `of an improved construction whereby the parts shall be simplified and mef chanically perfected to enable the op'erationl of the hopper to be performed easily and withyout liability of clogging, and I also, as one of cured together, the openings am in each of said parts will be in prolongation ,of p each other and serve to forman opening the entire length of the discharge-chute or portions A3 A4 for the discharge of the cinders. Formed on the lower portion of the piece A3 is a flange a4, suitably shaped to receive and have secured upon it any ordinary form of piping IOO or otherwise to carry the cinders below the locomotive to the space between the tracks.

The cylinders A A2 are provided each with its piston B B2, adapted to reciprocate iu said cylinders, as will be obvious, and these cylinders are connected by a perforated plate B, the perforation of which plate is to one side of the central portion thereof. Correspondingr to the size of the plate B and adapted to contain said plate during its reciprocating movement a suitable aperture is formed between the portions A3 A4 of the discharge chute. or plug, the plate itself passing through said aperture and connected at its ends with the pistons B B2.

Projecting from the ends of the cylinders A A2 are suitable pipe-connecting devices b b'. To the pipe-connecting device b on cylinder A2 is connected the duid-pressure pipe c', which leads to the cab of the locomotive, as will hereinafter appear.

To the pipe-connecting device b' from the cylinder A is connected a coupling F', to which is jointed in any suitable manner the pressure-pipe c, leading likewise from the cab of the locomotive. Passing axially through the coupling F is a rod E', screw-threaded at one end to engage, as shown, one end of the plate-connected pistons B B2, and having on its other end a suitable hand-operating ring h, the end of the coupling F' being provided with suitable screw-,threads f to be engaged by a packing-nut g, as usual in steam-fitting devices.

From the construction thus far described, it will be evident that if duid-pressure is admitted to the cylinder A2 through the piping c', the plate-connected pistons B B2 will both be moved to the left to bring the aperture B3 in the plate B into coincidence with the openings am in the portions A3 A4 of the discharge chute or plug, and in this position the cinders will be discharged. It is likewise obvious that if now duid-pressure be admitted to the piston B' to the left through the fluid-pressure pipe c the action thereof upon the piston B will cause the plate-connected pistons to move to the right, thus taking the opening B3 of the plate B out of coincidence with the openings 0,10 in the plug and closing the passage through the plug or discharge-chute. If for any reason it is desired to operate the device manually, it is only necessary, as will be evident, to pull upon or pull therod E by means of the ring or knob h.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 5, which disclose sucient of the device to show the arrangement thereof in the cab of the locomotive, the pressure device c c', leading to a threeway cock C, has a supply-pipe c2, leading to the boiler of the locomotive or to a compressure-fluid through the pipe c2 may be transmitted to the cylinders A A2 at will.

In order that the engineer may be always informed as to the position of the plate-connected pistons B' B2, and consequently know whether the chute is open or closed, there is disposed in the cab a suitable indicator d", pivoted at d and having a slotted end which engages a pin d2 on the piston, contained within a suitable cylinder of small size, as D, the pin during the movement of the piston working back and forth in the slot d3, as will be evident. Connected to the opposite ends of the cylinder D are the pipes d dl, which lead, respectively, to the cylinders A A2, and consequently when fluid-pressure is admitted to either one or the other of said cylinders the piston and cylinder B will be correspondingly operated and the indicator d4 thrown to the right or left between the letters S and O on the plate of the indicator, which signify that the discharge-chute is open or shut.

It will be understood, of course, that the fitting of the plate B between the portions A3 A4 of the discharge-chute is such that when the openings am are closed by the plate air cannot enter the extension front end.

I may, if I desire, of course provide the three-way-cock casing Ca with openings or depressions o, which may be engaged by suitable spring-pressed pins carried by the inner portion of the handle C of the three-way cock; but this is also of the usual construction and need not be further elucidated. In order that the indicator d and the three-way cock may be in close proximity, I have preferably connected them by an intermediate support C2.

The described construction presents, as will be evident, a very small, inexpensive, and eectually-operative device of the character described, and it may be varied in its particular features of structure within limits without departing from the spirit of my invention, which contemplates a central plug or discharge-chute having on either side of it a cylinder, each containing a piston connected by a suitable plate and movable in the aperture in said plug or plate to open or close the discharge-chute.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a locomotive-barrel, a cinder-hopper secured thereto and comprising a plug having a discharge-opening therethrough, a cylinder on each side of said plug, a piston in each of said cylinders, and a plate connecting said pistons, said plate having a perforation for opening or closing said discharge-opening.

2. The combination of a locomotive-barrel, of a cinder-hopper secured thereto, comprising a discharge chute or plug having an opening therethrough for the discharge of cinders IOO IIO

from the locomotive-barrel, and transversely slotted or perforated, a cylinder on each side of said discharge chute or plug, each containing a piston, and a perforated plate movable within the transverse slot of thedischarge chute or plug for opening or closing the discharge-opening.

3. The combination of a locomotive-barrel, of a cinder-hopper secured thereto comprising a discharge chute or plug formed of two parts secu red together and having a dischargeopening extending through said two parts, and a space separating said parts, a cylinder on each side of said discharge chute or plug, a piston in each of said cylinders, and a plate movable in the space between said parts of the discharge chute or plug and having an openingfor controlling the discharge of cinders through the chute or plug. y

4. The combination of a locomotive-barrel, a cinder-hopper secured thereto comprising a discharge chute or plug having a dischargeopening therethrough, and a transverse slot, a cylinder on each side of said discharge chute or plug, a piston in each cylinder, a perforated plate joining said pistons and movable in said slot, a fluid-supply device connected to the cylinders for supplying fluid-pressure thereto.

5. The combination of a locomotive-barrel, a cinder-hopper secured thereto comprising a discharge chute or plug having a dischargeopening therethrough, and a transverse slot, a cylinder on each side of said discharge chute or plug, a piston in each cylinder, a perforated plate joining said pistons and movable in said slot, a duid-supply device connected to the cylinders for supplying duid-pressure thereto, and an indicator located Within the cab of the locomotive, and piping connecting said indicator with each cylinder to show the position of the pistons and plate.

6. The combination of a locomotive-barrel, a cinder-hopper secured thereto and comprising an upper and a lower portion, detachable means for connecting said upper and lower portions, said portions having a dischargeopening through each, the adjacent ends of said two portions being separatedy to form a space, a cylinder on each side of said opening, a piston in each cylinder, and a perforated plate joining said pistons, and means for moving said vplate transversely of the discharge plug or chute.

7. The combination of a locomotive-barrel, a cinder-hopper secured thereto and comprising a discharge chute or plug having a discharge-opening therethrough and a transverse slot, a cylinder on opposite sides of'said discharge chute or plug, a piston in each of said cylinders, a perforated plate movable in the slot transverse of said discharge chute or plug, duid-pressure pipes leading from each of said cylinders to the cab of the locomotive, an indicator and suitable pipingconneoting said indicator with each of said cylinders to show the position of the pistons in said cylinders. Y

JOSEPH BERG. Witnesses:

R. W. NEWELL, B. E. SCOTT. 

